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Forced Marriage; Rape; Law Reform

“Women should be beaten every day," says Kamilla,* repeating the grim words of her deceased sister’s husband. At 19, he forcibly kidnapped her sister Kulipa for marriage. “The marriage was a nightmare,” recalls Kamilla, trembling from the memory of her sister’s suffering.The practice of bride kidnapping is widespread in Kyrgyzstan and is still considered by some as a valuable tradition.